CALGARY, AB: The Western Canadian Wheat Growers is disappointed by today’s ruling that the federal government may impose a carbon tax onto the provinces.

“Today’s ruling denies the premise that provinces are best able to deal with the issues that impact them. Agriculture environmental policy and its implementation is best managed by the provincial government and producers,” said Levi Wood, Past President.

Farmers are best able to manage their local environment. The land that they farm is their heritage and they want to ensure that future generations are able to continue the farming tradition.

The Saskatchewan government has a ‘Made in Saskatchewan Climate Change Strategy’ that the Wheat Growers support, taking into account modern agriculture techniques and carbon sequestering.

The imposition of a federal carbon tax deeply impacts farmers’ bottom line. The federal carbon tax will force the cost of the carbon tax on equipment, supplies and inputs on to the farmer. In turn, these costs cannot be passed along to the end user, as grain is sold at world commodity prices. Unfortunately, the federal carbon tax plan does not make farming any more environmentally friendly.

We wish that the federal government dealt with the agriculture trade crisis in China, Italy, India, Peru and Vietnam as forcefully as they are pushing a carbon tax upon farmers. A carbon tax makes Canadian agriculture products uncompetitive because other farmers do not have a carbon tax.

“I’m very disappointed with today’s ruling. Farmers have already taken many significant steps to protect our land and water through no-till planting, improved crop rotation and other actions. We would support the provincial government to appeal this decision in order for farmers to continue their environmentally friendly agriculture methods,” said Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, Saskatchewan Director.

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